Richard/Pops

“I got into graffiti art as a teenager after seeing what the kids were doing on the subway trains in New York. I’m 48 now and I’ve officially been self-employed for about 15 years. I’ve worked with young people in Youth Justice, and I’ve been painting commissioned murals here in Christchurch for almost a decade […]

Suli

“I was an active child through to my early teens, but I was a big boy in my early 20’s. I worked at a fast food joint for a few years and loaded on the weight and became physically inactive. There was a point in my life where two key things stood out for me, […]

Alice

“I’ve dressed like this since I was little. I can remember making my mum cut one leg out of two pairs of tights so I could have a different colour on each leg. For me, because I’m a heavy-duty cutie, it’s a way of expressing myself and giving other people permission – they can be […]

Hannah

“I spend a lot of time at home crafting, and doing bits and pieces here and there. I’m a stay at home mum so I need something to fill in the time between looking after the children and I really like creating different pieces of art that people can enjoy. I’m passionate about anything crafty […]

Jessie

“It wasn’t until I tried to kill myself that I got the help I needed. Before that I never went to the doctor. I got help from a child psychologist, she told me it was ok to feel this way and she was there to help me work all of that out. Mum and I […]

Sergio

“I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa until I was 16. It was cool; good and bad, different. The expectation of men in Capetown is different for colored men. Men are not allowed to be soft and I think that is why there is so much more violence. We are not able to show […]

Donald

“It isn’t common for men to be social workers, less than 10 percent are. I want guys to get the message that you can become a social worker or nurse and it is ok. Its dirty work or stressful work but you are able to go down the pathway that you are attracted to. Valuing […]

Mark

“I didn’t really enjoy high school, I just went because it’s what you do. I didn’t really have any teachers I could really connect with, it’s like those movies where you might find one teacher who really inspires you, I didn’t have that as such.  It’s funny, in high school I studied graphic design, and […]

Jeremy

“My journey with masculinity started early as a very effeminate young boy. In my late teens, coming out as gay, part of that is to explore those boundaries of your feminine and masculine qualities. I think coming into my adult life it took me a little longer to relax into and accept the masculine traits […]

Sam

I’m a part owner of a new restaurant, 5th Street, in Sydenham. That’s my main job and passion – it keeps me busy. I’m also really into my wine. My favourite wine region is probably Waipara because its local and I love what the winemakers are doing out there. They’re trying to pull away from […]